Rotary engine.



No. 659,007. I Patented Oct; 2, I900. 0. F. TINKHAM. ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed 'Dec. 9, 1899.) nMnodaL) v a Shqetr-Sheot I.

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ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 9, 1899.)

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No. 659,607. Patented 0012. 2, I900. 0. F. TlNKHAM.

' RUTARY ENGlNE. (Application filed Dec. 9, 1899.)

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No. 659,007. Patented Oct. 2, I900. 0. F. TINKHAM. ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 9, 1899.)

8 Shoots-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

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No. 659,007. Patented Oct. 2, I900. DLF. TINKHAM.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 9, 1899.) (No Model.)

6 Sheets-Shaet 5.

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No. 659,007. Patented Oct. 2, I900.

0. F. TINKHAM. nonm- ENGINE.

1 (Application filed Dec. 9;1B99.)

6 Sheets-Shaet 6.

(No Model.)

O. F.TINKHAM,

'0 norm 5 PETERS UNITE STATES PATENT OFFI E.

OLIVER F. TINKHAM, OF HAVANA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LAWFORD G. PULLEN AND FREDRICK W. HOLZGRAFE, OF SAME PLACE.

ROTARY SPECIFICATION aimin part of Letters Patent No. 659,007, dated October 2, 1900. Application filed December 9,1899. Serial 110.739,?70. (No model.)

sideelevation of the engine with the external valve and valve actuating mechanism removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the interior of the engine and illustrating the positions of the moving parts at the time steam is ad mitted'to the primary steam-chain ber. Fig. 4 isa section through the casing of the piston-valve, showing the condition of the valve when the piston of the engine is in the position shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the interior of the'en'gine and illustrating the position of the piston at the time that steam begins to pass from the primary steam-chain ber to the secondary steamchamber. Fig. 6 is a section through the casing of the piston-valve, showing the position of the valve at the time the piston of the engine is in the position shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the interior of the engine with certain parts removed to expose pecu liarities of construction of the engine-piston and the space-dividing ring. In this figure the exhaust-valve is shown in section to ex-' Fig. 8 is a pose the passage-ways therein. representation ofa side of the space-dividing ring with the end 'of the engine-piston pro truding therethrough. Fig. 9 is a section through the engine on line a; in Fig. 7.

2, having a base 3 and a face-plate 4, the body and the face-plate having peculiarities of internal construction to be hereinafter described. A shaft 1 is j ournaled in the casing concentric therewith, and a piston-arm 13 is fixed onto the shaft at l3 and extended to the outer wall of the interior of the casing. A boss 8 extends inward from the rear wall of the body of the casing and a coinciding boss 6 projects inward from face-plate 4:. These "bosses are approximately concentric with the cylinder of the engine, and they formwith the outer internal wall of the cylinder an annular steam-space. meet in the center of the casing, and in the intervening spaceis placed a web 15 for a ring 1a, which divides the annular steam space of the engine into two crescent-shaped compartments ll and 12. contact with the outer internal wall of the cylinder at one side and with the bosses 6 and 18 on the other side, and it journals on rings' 16 and 16, which ride in grooves formed in bosses 6 and 8. which the rings 16 and 16 ride are eccentric with relation to the cylinder, and they develop eccentric central bosses 5 and 7, through which the shaft 1 extends. The piston 13 ex- The two bosses 6 and b do not 5' The ring 14 is in The circular grooves in' tends from the shaft through an opening in The piston extends part of the time 7 5 A passage-way is established bethe piston nearly through the primary compartment and act on the piston the second time.

- Steam is admitted to one of the ends of the primary compartment, and it acts against the piston through the primary compartment and I through the secondary compartment toa point The casing of the engine comprises a body past the point of admission before it escapes, so that it follows the piston more than a complete revolution. The secondary compartment 11 is about double the capacity of 5 direction of the rotation of the piston-arm and the dividing-ring, and the straight arrow shows the point at which steam is admitted when the piston is in its shown position. The live steam acts on the piston in the smaller compartment until the position shown in Fig. 5 is reached, when the passage-way 17 in the web between the two compartments is uncovered and the steam follows the direction indicated by the arrows, passing along an opening in the ring and escaping through a valve l7 into the larger compartment behind the piston, where it acts expansively to force the piston around past exhaust-port 10. Before the piston reaches the live-steam port for a second supply of steam the primary compartment exha usls whatever steam it may retain after discharging into the secondary compartment,and so the operation continues.

When the engine stops with its piston out of the influence of the steam in the primary compartment, live steam is temporarily supplied to the secondary compartment behind the piston for the purpose of carrying the piston to a point to receive the action of steam supplied to the primary compartment, as previously explained.

The steam acts on the shaft directly through the piston-arm, so that the eccentric spacedividing ring develops no friction beyond that incidental to its own rotation. The piston-arm is journaled concentric with the cylinder, so that the outer wall of the annular space may be truly circular and the piston non-extensible.

In this embodiment of the invention steam is supplied to a steam-chest 30 through a pipe 38. The steam-chest has ports 34, 35, 36, and 37, as shown in Figs. 4 and (3,aud these ports coincide with openings in the face-plate of the engine, as shown in Fig. 2. A passageway 34 leads from port 34 to one end of the primary compartment of the cylinder, a passage-way 35 leads from port 35 to the exhaust-outlet ot' the engine, a passage-way 3b leads from port 36 to the opposite end of the primary compartment'of the cylinder, and a passage-way 37 leads from port 37 to valve 25 through channel 37 (Shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 7.) The passageways 34, 35, 36, and 37 are formed in or on the face-plate 4 of the engine. The valve 31 of the steamchest 30 is of the piston or spool type. It has a stem 32, which extends through an end of the chest, and an arm 33 on the extended end of the valve-stem engages a slot in a link22. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 9.) A pair of eccentrics l8 and 19 are mounted on the driveshal't l, and rods 20 and 2i connect straps on the eccentrics with opposite ends of the slotted link 22. The rod 21 is shorter than rod 20 for a reason that will be hereinafter explained, and the link 22 is connected with a shift-lever 24 through a bar 23. The movement of the piston-valve is so timed with relation to the rotation of the piston-arm of the engine that when the engine-piston is in the position shown in Fig. 3 the ports 34 and 36 are uncovered, so that live steam can pass through port 36 and passage 36 to the primarysteam-compartment,while exhausti'rom the primary compartment travels through passage-way 34, )ort 34, port 35, and passage-way 35 to the exhaust-opening 39. When the engine-piston reaches the position shown in Fig. 5, the ports 34 and 36 are closed by the valve 31 and steam is used expansively during the completion of the revolution. Throughout this operation the pistonvalve moves downward to cover the ports and upward to uncover them, so as to establish communication between ports 34 and 35, as shown in Fig. 4; but when the engine is reversed exhaust communication must be established between ports 35 and 36, while port 34 is used for live steam, and so the valve must move upward to cover and downward to uncover the ports. Provision is made for this in the greater length of eccentric-rod 20, and when link 22 is moved so that the longer rod is put into operation the valve of the steam-chest is carried downward to the position necessary to develop an upward portcoveriug motion. To provide for exhaust from the secondary cylinder-compartment, grooves 9 and i0 are formed in the outer wall of the cylinder and provided with openings or ports 9 and 10*, which communicate with the upper ends of the secondary compartments. The passage-ways communicate with a rockable valve 25, one or the other being continnouslyin communication with exhaustopening 39 through a passage in the valve. The valve 25 has an arm 20', (shown only in Fig. 1,) and this arm connects with linkshifting lever 24 through bar 27. When the link is thrown so as to supply steam through port 36, the valve 25 is rocked, so as to establish a communication between passage-way 10 and the exhaust-opening, and when the link is in position to supply live steam through port 34 com munication is established through valve 25 between passage-way 9 and exhaustopening 39. The valve 25 has a peripheral passage-way 25, (shown in Fig. 7,) which establishes communication between the passages 9 and 10 and the exhaust-opening 39. It also has a diametrical passage 25 and radial passages .25 and 25,com municating with the diametrical passage on the side thereof opposite peripheral passage 25. The valve is ordinarily at rest, and it is shifted only when the engine is reversed or when itis required to use live steam in the secondary cylinder-compartment for the purpose of starting the engine. In the first instance the peripheral passage 25 is shifted so as to establish communication between the exhaustopening 39 and whichever passage-way 9 or 10 it is desired to use; but when it is required to start the engine by means of live steam introduced into the secondary compartment the rockable valve is turned until com munication is made between chamber 37 and one of the exhaust-passages 9 or 10. The chamher 37 is virtually an extension of the steamehest, so that steam is always therein, and whenever communication is established between the'chamber and an exhaust-passage the piston of the engine is started and moved to a position to be subjected to live steam in the primary compartment. In Fig. 7 the valve 25 is turned so as to supply live-stea m through passage 9 with a view to starting the piston in the direction illustrated in Figs. 3

and 5, and in so doing an end ofthe diametrical passage 25 is presented to passage-way 9- and a radial passage is presented to chamber 37. In effecting this resultthe lever 24 is used to rock arm 26 into one of its extreme positions against the resistance of springbolt 28, and'as soon the lever is relieved the spring turns the valve so as to breakv communication between the chamber 37* and the passage-way 9,as hereinbefore described.

When the engine is to be started in the opposite direction,steam is supplied topassageway 10 through diametrical passage 25 and radial passage 25 and in that case springbolt 29 is used to resist the motion of arm 26 and return valve 25 to its normal position.

To provide for the motion needed to give live steam to the secondary compartment,the slot in link 22 extends beyond the connections of the rods of the eccentrics with the linlz,so

that the rods may pass the valve-stem in making the extreme throw.

'Ihe piston-arm extends throughthe ring 14, and to provide a closure that will prevent steam from passing between the piston and the abutting ends of the ring straps 44 and 45 embrace the sides of the piston inside the ring, and they are secured to the piston by T-shaped extensions 40 and 41 that fit in corresponding grooves in the piston,as shown in Fig. 8. At the ends of the ring bars 40 and 41 are formed on or fastened to straps 44 and 45, and such bars are equal in length to the width of the ring and of the piston. Valveplates 42 and 43 are secured to bars 40 and 41,respectively,by means of hinge-joints composed of cylindrical bearings,and they act to open and close the outlets 17 of the passages 17, through which steam passes from the inner compartment tothe outer compartment. When the piston moves in one direction, it presses the valve-plate in front of it closed and opens the one behind it, so that steam is always admitted to the secondary compartment behind the piston. In Fig. 8 the valve 17 on the left side of the piston is shown closed and the opposite one is open. Wings 46 and 47 are hinged one to the strap 44 and the other to strap 45, and they operate slidably in grooves 48 and 49 in web 15 when the piston and the eccentric ring thereon rotate. The bars 40 and 41 are relied on to prevent passage of steam from the secondary compartment, and the wings act similarly with relation to the primary compartment.

The bosses 6 and 8 entirely embrace the lower part of web 15, but not the upper part rated from the wall oi' the cylinder adistance approximating the length of the operative part of the piston plus the thickness of the ring. The shoulders of the piston bear against the upper. parts of the bosses sufficiently close to prevent passage otthe steam; but when the lower part of the bosses is reached the shoulders may move out into but not clear of the ring.

I claim I. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a steam-space divided into two crescent-formed compartments one of which overlaps the other, an inlet communicating with the overlapped compartment, an outlet communicating with the overlapping compartment, a passage-way between the compartin cuts and a piston operating in both com partments; the inlet, outlet and intercommunicating passage being so located that steam travels in the overlapped compartment past the outlet, is then transferred to the overlapping compartment, and travels in the overlapping compartment beyond the inlet, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder having an annular steam-space, a

-ring journaled in the cylinder eccentric thereof, and dividing the annular space into two opposite crescent-shaped compartments,a piston journaled concentric with the cylinder and extended through the ring and to the outer wall of the annular space, a web for the ring having a passage-way between the two compartment-s opening into the compartment inside the ring at a point that moves alternately into and out of the annular space as the ring revolves, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder having an annular steam-space, a ring journaled in the cylinder eccentric thereof andhaving passage-ways through which the compartment of the annular space inside the ring communicates with the space outside the ring, a piston journaled concentric with the cylinder and extended loosely through the ring to the outer wall of the annular space, and valves for the passage-ways attached to the piston and shiftable thereby, such valves forming continuations of the ring, substan-' tially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder having an annular space the internal wall of which is formed by bosses extending inward from the faces of the engine, an eccentric ring dividing the annular space into two compartments, a web for the ring fitted between the bosses, a piston journaled concentric with the cylinder and extended through the ring, and a passage-way through the ring between the two compartments, the passage-way having an opening in the web of the ring which is alternately covered and uncovered by passing between and then clear of the bosses, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder having a steam-space divided into two compartments in which the steam is used successively,a piston on which the steam acts, a steam-passage communicating with the primary steam-com partment of the cylinder,and a supplemental steam-passage communicating with the secondary steam-compartment, whereby the piston may be started in the secondary compartment by live steam supplied thereto, substantially as described.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder having a steam-space divided into two compartments in which the steam is used successive1y,a piston on which the steam acts,

a steam-passage communicating with the prisupplemental steam-passage communicating with the exhaust-passage of the secondary steam-compartment through a valve,whereby steam may be temporarily admitted to the secondary compartment through the exhaust thereof to start the piston in such secondary compartment.

7. The combination in a rotary engine of a cylinder, a spaee-dividin g eccentric ring, such ring having an internal web, a piston journaled concentric with the cylinder and extended through the ring and the web thereof, and wings hinged to the piston and extended into grooves in the web to form a steam-excluding wall, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

OLIVER F. TINKHAM.

Witnesses:

FRED. W. HOLZGRAFE, IDA L. SAMUELL, HARMON R. N ORTHRUP. 

